Volkswagen is now a word of universal acceptance
and significance and largely because it represents the solution of a universal
problem.

The automobile that solved the problem of suburban
distances and thus enabled people to live in the new and modestly priced housing
development, one time inaccessible and almost country places, has itself become
something of a problem--an increasingly expensive necessity. And that is perhaps
the secret of Volkswagen success; that it is a car designed for democratic tastes
and needs, a car without pretensions which does a workman-like job. Its purchase
represents an initial saving and its maintenance a discount that accumulates with
every mile it travels, and, as any car driver will testify, it travels with the
best. Why not with a maximum of 72-74 miles per hour?

History--That
began when the Volkswagen plant in the town of Wolfsburg, Germany, was built in
1938. The first cars rolled of the assembly line in 1940. In 1945 there were 711;
in 1950, 90,038; and in 1957, 470,585. Of the present 2,125 daily quota, more
than half are exported. Volkswagen employs 41,000 of the 50,000 citizens of Wolfsburg,

The Volkswagen in Canada--Volkswagen Products were seen in
Canada for the first time at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1952 and were
accepted enthusiastically. That, however, is not always a reliable criterion,
but by 1955 sales were on a basis that warranted the building of the fine Volkswagen
plant on a 32-acre site on Scarboro's Golden Mile. To this, a 60,000 square foot
building with administration, showrooms, service, repairs and parts, an addition
of 60,000 feet was built in 1957, with storage for $4,000,000 of parts, and greatly
increased facilities including a second cafeteria for employees.

Dealer
Organizations--Such offer the best evidence of car popularity and today there
are 300 Volkswagen dealers across Canada, each with complete repair facilities
and an ample stock of parts. They also handle the installation of new or reconstructed
motors, a changeover that can be handled in 15 minutes if necessary. There is
also a big repair department at the "Golden Mile" organization where
cars are overhauled and repainted in modern, quick-drying ovens, and go back to
the owners literally as good as new.

Ernployees--Now 350 and
increasing, they have a medical, surgical and hospitalization plan and, with their
dependants, medical treatment free of charge by the company physician. What with
meals at cost and other amenities, Volkswagen is a good place to work.

Models--These
include Custom, Deluxe (plain and sliding roofs), a convertible and the Volkswagen
Karmann-Ghia with a body by the Italian designer Ghia.

Commercial
Vehicles--These, with generous load capacity, lend themselves to a variety of
uses, including in Canada, as delivery vans, pick-up trucks, school buses and
portable broadcasting units. An enterprising independent has designed a "kit"
that changes a van into a comfortable travelling home, but that will not surprise
anyone who has examined the commercial units.

Perforniance--The
car has a reputation of 75,000 miles without a major repair, and what better testimony
can there be than the 300 gold watches presented to date to customers who have
driven the Volkswagen 60,000 miles without a major repair, not to count those
who did not, for one reason or another, collect.

Sales--Canada,
with a present importation quota from the main plant of 25,000 cars per year now
ranks second among the company's overseas markets. The Volkswagen is distributed
in 100 countries. Ireland, Australia, Belgium and Mexico have their own assembly
plants supplied directly from Wolfsburg. Organizations in the United States, Canada,
Brazil and South Africa are subsidiaries.

Administration--Professor
Dr. Ing H.C. Heinz Nordhoff is the chief executive of the company in Germany.
Under his rnanagement production increased from 10,000 cars to nearly 500,000
in a decade. For his contribution to the rebuilding of West Germany economy he
has had many honours conferred on him, including the highest of the German Republic.

Werner Jansen, with an established reputation as a highly
successful executive, joined Volkswagen as chief executive in Canada in 1952.
Under his direction, Volkswagen Canada Ltd., has become the second largest market
for Volkswagen products.

This essay was
written in c 1959. It was copied from the Canadian Register of Commerce &
Industry held in the Western Libraries at the University of Western Ontario. The
original article should be consulted since this copy may contain some errors.
The text and/or the images are being made available to researchers for scholarly
purposes. They should not be used for commercial gain without the permission of
the author or publisher.